Cooling system for aircraft engines



Dec. 4, 1928. 1,694,071

H. C. MAL'LORY CO OLING SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT ENGINES Filed Jan. 6. 1922 f7 74 ag a Z W ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

, p v e 1, 94,071, UNITEDTSTATES PATENT emce- HARRY c. MALLORY, or new YORK, n. Y.; sun 3. MALLonY nnmrivrsrnn'rn x F snrn nAnnYc. MALLORY, nncnnsnn COOLING SYSTEMFOR AIRCRAFT ENGI S;

Application fiied' January 6, 1922. Serial N-o. 527,503.

The general object of my present invention is to provide an'improved cooling system for an internal combustion engine. More specifically the object of my invention is to provide a cooling system especially adapted for use with an engine employed to drive aircraft and comprising provisions for making the operation of the cooling system independent of the varying pressure of the atmosphere as the altitude of the aeroplane varies. p r

In carrying out my invention I employ an engine cooling system of the type in which a cooling liquid is vaporized by the heat in the engine cooling space, and the vapor thus generated is condensed in a suitable condenser from which liquid of condensation is returned to the. engine cooling space, and my invention comprises novel means for varying the capacity of the condenser by varying the amount of air therein as required to maintain a pressure in the vapor portion of the cooling system which is approximately con stant and is the pressure of saturated vapor of the coolin liquid at the temperature which it'is desired to maintain in the engine cooling space. v

The various features, of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out F 2 is a sectional elevation of a control valve employed in the apparatus shown in Fig, Lthe section being taken on the line of Fig. 1'; and Fig. 3

is a sectional elevation oi a 'moditied form of control valve which may be can 1 ployed in lieu of that shown in Fig. 2.

In the drawings and referring first to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, A represents an aeroplane engine having an outlet connection B for cooling fluid leading from the engine cooling jacket or space to the top of the condenser C. D represents a return pipe through which water of condensation 13 aircraft is at high altitudes.

with particularity in the claims annexed to passed by the pump E, from the bot-tom of the condenser back intofthe engine cooling space. The engine A is provided with a supercharger for supplying charge forming air to the engine cylinders at a pressure abovethat of the atmosphere particularly when the charger in the form shown is of the type dison The superclosed by the patent to RateauNo. 1,375,931 1 and comprises a compressor F and a turbine for drivingthe compressor. The turbine s driven bythe exhaust gases passed to the tnrbme from the engine cylinders through the engine exhaust connection A and the. compressor F takes air from the atmosphere through its inlet F, and'after compressing the air, delivers it to the intake manifold A of the engine. J r

To permit of a regulation of the operation of the supercharger an outlet A is provided through which the exhaust gases from the e n gine cylinders may pass directly to the atmosphere Without passing. through the turbine Gr. A valveA forms a meansfor opening, closing or throttlingthe outlet A according to the desired condition of-operation. 1 With thesuperchargerout of operationa separate inlet to the suction intake manifold A of the engine may be openedif the type of compressor F employed makes thisnecessary. Ordlnarily such an 1nlet isnot required, however, as the type of compressorusually emlocated-in the connection betweenthe outlet of the compressor F and the-suction intake .maiui'fold A. Y j Air is withdrawn from the condenser C continuously while the engine is in operation by means oi a suitable air exhausting connection. As shown the air exhausting effect is obtained by means of a pipe K connecting the lower portion of the condenser to the intake 1 manifold A. The pipe K may advantageously include an air valve K restricting the escape of vapor through the pipe K. Air

is supplied to the condenser C as required to maintain a definite pressure in the vapor space of the condenser by an'automatic-pres sure regulating valve M. As shown in Figs.

1 an 2, thevalve M comprises a'casing ele: -1

ment M threadedinto the wall of-thec'ondenser casing andpnpvided with a valve seated port M connected by a pipe L to the outlet of the compressor F at the supply side of the carburetor H and throttle valve I. Flow of air through the pipe L into the condenser casingthrough the port M is controlled by a valve member M in automatic response to the pressure Within the condenser. As shown the stem of the valve member M' t-is connected for this purpose by a yoke O to the floating end or head 0 ofa bellows or expansiblc container 0, the opposite end of which is statlonaryfl As shown the bellows member ,is i

of cup formand; is closed at its month by the cupshaped end member O :whichwith the end of the bellows proper iisexpanded into the -internallygroovcd collar P. The bellows O is supported by a threaded connectionhetween the collar Panel a. tubular extensionM of the i casing element M Ports are tormed through the tubular port M to put the interior o t: the latter in :free communication with theieondenser interior an d to provide for the movement of the yoke which extends about the bellows O and collar P. A spring Q acting between the casing element M and a nut oncross headMadjustablyseeured on the stem of the valve member M tends to holdthe valve opcnw Thieinterior of the bellowselement O isiexhaustedwto provide a more'orless perfect vacuum therein.-

With the described arrangement the pres- 'sure within the condensertendsto collapse the bellows O'and mnove the valve M against itsuseat while the springiQ tends to expand the bellows andmovetthe valve M off its seat. a

In practice the tension: of the spring Qais adjustcd so that :withtthe desired pressure within thecondenser, the force tending toopen the valve exerted bythespring Q against the yoke O will balance the "valve closing force tranmnitted to the yoke from the movableend V O of the bellows 0. With theapparatus thus: adjusted, when the pressure in the condenser falls below the desired ipressure,"the

valve M will move off its seatandiadmit air i to thecondeniser throughthe port M, while when the pressure in the condenser risesnabove the desired pressure the valve M will be seat- 7 ed and close the t M1 Inpractical operation the apparatus should he so designed and proportioned that the con t mivd withdrewah of air from the con denser through the pipe K tends-toreduce the pressure inithe condenser toa value less than that which ii; is desired to maintain.

craokedi; andvpermit a continued influx of air asirequired to maintain the pressure in the condenser atithe' desired value; The capacity of-thmcondenser to: condense vapor, other conditions being constant, depends upon the amount of air in the condenseinasair present: in the conidenseu reducesithe condenser capac ity in much the same way as would an actual In consequence the valve l M a will normally be;

elimination of a portion of the condensing surface."

The pressure in the vapor space of the cooling system is a measure of the temperature in the engine cooling space since it determines" the temperature at which the cooling liquid boils. As the engine load increases, and the quantity of heat absorbed by the cooling liquid increases, or as the external atmospheric conditions change to decrease the cooling effect exerted on the condenser, the pressure ot the vapor in the condenser tends to increase with a corresponding increase in temperature? i in the engine cooling space With the pres out invention when this rise in pressure in the condenser occurs, the first effect is -to tightly close theport M after which the con tinued withdrawal of air through; the pipe quickly increases the capacity of thecon denser as required to condense theuvapon formed at the pressure WhlCh it s desired to maintain in the condenser. Converselpf when a decreascdrate ofvapor generatiomor V i an increased condenser coolingeffect occurs, thetendency is tolower the vapor pressure 1n the condenser and thereby to lower the tem i perature in the engine cooling ,space,and this is counteracted by the action of the ivalve M in opening the port M and permitting air to enter "the condenser and reduce its capacity so thatthe desired pressure and temperature within the system is restored. In practice or, I

the pressure which it is desired to maintain in the'condenser will ordinarily be appreciably below the normaliatmospheric pres-. 7

sure at sea levelbut will be above the pressure of the atmosphere at altitudes frequently reached with aeroplanes By connecting the inlet of thevalve M .to i

the delivery side of the compressor Fit is possible to. maintain a pressure in thereondenser above that of the atmosphere when thevengine is at an altitude at which the pressure of the atmosphere is less than thepres sure of vapor of; the cooling l quid correspondingtto the temperaturewhich it; is desired to maintain in the engine cooling space.

By means of the present invention it is possible thereforcto make the temperature in the enginerooling space independent of the fluctuations in temperature and the pressure oi the atmosphere through which the aeroplane moves. It-

possible, of course, to deuid, a regulation of the condenser capacity in direct response to the vapor pressure in the i system is a regulation in indirect response to the temperature in the enginecooling space.

In lieu of regulating the-accumulation of air in the condenser in direct response to the vapor pressure in the system, the accumulation of air may be regulated in direct response to the temperature in the engine cooling space and in Fig. 3 I have shown a valve mechanism MA for this purpose. The valve mechanism MA which may regulate the influx of air into the condenser through the pipe L is operated thermostatically. The valve mechanism MA comprises a casing element M generally like the element M above described, and formed with a valve seated port M communicating with the pipe. The thermostatic element of the valve mechanism MA, as shown, is a bellows OA which must be located in some high temperature portion of the engine cooling system and is advantageously located, as shown, in the outlet connection B from the engine cooling space to the condenser C. The bellows member 0A may be formed generally like the bellows O first described, and has its collar PA secured to the tubular portions M of the valve casing element M by a threaded connection, but in the valve mechanism MA the free or movable end 0 of the bellows GA is the end adjacent the port M and carries the valve member l\ controlling space the bellows will contract and open the port M.

The thermostatic valve actuating mechanism ofFig. 3 thus increasesand decreases the'condenser capacity 1n response to changing conditions exactly as does valve mechanism M of Figs. 1 and 2.

Various novel features of construction and arrangen'ient disclosed and not claimed here in are claimed in my co-pending applications, Serial No. 16; ,332,Itiled April 20, 1917, and Serial No. 473,439, filed May 28, 1921.

\Vhile in accordance with the provisions of the statutes I have illustrated and described the best form of my present invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of my invention without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims, and that certain features of my invention may sometimes be used to advantage without a correspondinguse of other features;

I claim as new and desire to secure 'by-Letters Patent, is

1, The combination with an internal combustion engine anda supercharger forsupplying an to the eng ne cylinders at a pres- I sure above that of the surrounding atmos phere, otan engine cooling system comprising a condenser connected to the enginecooling'spacefor condensing vapor generated by heat absorbed by a cooling liquidin said phere, of an engine cooling system comprising a condenser connected to the engine cooling space for condensing vapor generated by heat absorbed by a cooling liquid in said space, and

means for regulating the capacity of the condenser in automatic response to the temper aturein the engine cooling space including provisions for supplying air to the system from the supercharger at a pressure above that of the surrounding atmosphere.

3. The combination with an internal combustion engine anda, supercharger forsupplying air to the engine cylinders at a' pressure above that ofthe surroundingatmospher'e, of an engine cooling system comprising a condenser connected to the engine cooling space for condensing vapor generated by heat absorbed by a cooling liquid in said space, and means for regulating the capacity of-the condenser including a control device automatically responsive to the absolute pressurein the vapor space of the cooling system for supplyingair to the latter fromthe superchargeras'required to prevent the absolute pressure in said system from falling below a, predetermined value. 7

4. The combination with an internal combustion engine and a supercharger, for supplying air to the, engine cylinders at a pressure above that ofthe surrounding atmosphere, of an engine cooling system comprising a condenser connected to the engine cool;

ing space for condensing vapor generated by heat absorbed by a cooling liquid in said space, and'means for regulating the capacity of the condenser lncluding provisions for exhausting air from the cooling system, and provisions for supplying air from the supercharger to the cooling system at a pressure above that of the surrounding atmosphere.

5. In an internal combustion engine cool in g system comprising a condenser connected Having now'described my invention, What we g ne q ng ,spec r Condensing vapor generated by heat absorbed byl'e coolr m q lid J i Said space, he in; rovement hi rc fi tsl n, means for regu ating the capacity of the condenser including a'contlolw devioeimtbejiform of ,an exhausted expan sibletcomaainen"subjected externally to the pressure Within the cooling system, and resilientmeans oppqsing the tendency of said. absolute: pressure to collapse said container. 6. J11 nmjnternal mombnstionn engine 0001- ingrisyetem of the boiling :and condensing type,,thercombinatiennvitn a condenser condens ing .vapor genernted by absorbed by a cooling hquidin s uid spacmof means for varymg the condensmg capaclty of the C011? denser, and means antornatxcally responsrve to the absolute pressure in the cooling system for actnatingthe first mentioned means as required torlnaintain said pressure approximately constant.

Signed at New York city,in the county of NewYork end Stntemf New York, this 5th day of- J annary, A. D. "1922.

H. (L MALLORY. 

